A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates to hoof pad, and in particular to a hoof pad which may be attached to a shoe, such as a horseshoe, in order to protect the bottom of an animal""s hoof. A horseshoe or shoes and like apparatus for other animals is regularly attached to the bottom of a horse""s hoof using nails. Hoof pads are known in the prior art, such as the hoof pad shown in FIG. 1. The hoof pad 1 of the prior art is a plate-shaped object having a partially elliptical shape and flexibility with the outer edge 1a substantially matching the outer edge 3a of the shoe, such as a horseshoe 3. The hoof pad 1 of the prior art is situated between the top surface 3b of the horseshoe 3 and the bottom of the hoof; i.e., the bottom surface 5a of the hoof 5. The horseshoe 3 is then attached to the hoof 5 using nails 7 that pass through both the horseshoe 3 and the hoof pad 1.
However, the following problems are associated with the hoof pad of the prior art. First, the hoof pad cannot be removed alone when the horseshoe is attached to the hoof with nails because the hoof pad of the prior art is attached to the hoof along with the horseshoe using nails. In other words, the nails attaching the horseshoe and the hoof pad to the hoof have to be removed and the horseshoe taken off along with the hoof pad when the hoof pad is to be removed. When a hoof pad is attached to a hoof, moreover, it has to be attached to the hoof along with the horseshoe using nails. Therefore, not anybody can attach and remove the hoof pad. This has to be done by a farrier or blacksmith.
In addition, the hoof pad is not easy to attach and remove, so hoof oil cannot be applied to the bottom of the hoof, and debris caught between the hoof pad and the bottom of the hoof such as sand and sawdust cannot be removed without taking off the hoof pad.
Furthermore, because the bottom of the hoof comes into contact with the hoof pad, the hoof tends to become soft because of the cushioning effect of the hoof pad and tends to then require a hoof pad.
Moreover, because the weight of the horse is brought to bear on the hoof pad and the hoof pad has a cushioning effect, the nails holding the horseshoe and the hoof pad to the bottom of the hoof tend to become loose.
In addition, because the hoof pad is situated between the bottom of the hoof and the horseshoe and has a fixed thickness, hoof pads have to be attached to a left and right pair of hooves at the same time so that the bottom of the hooves are a fixed height from the ground. In other words, if the hoof pad has to be replaced on the left hoof or the right hoof in a pair of hooves, the hoof pad on the other hoof in the pair also has to be replaced.
A hoof pad is disclosed which is attachable to a shoe, such as a horseshoe, in order to protect the bottom of an animal""s hoof. The disclosed hoof pad solves the problems associated with hoof pads of the prior art, by providing a hoof pad that can be easily attached and removed while the horseshoe is attached to the hoof with nails. In the disclosed hoof pad, a plurality of catches is formed on top of a plate-shaped object having a partially elliptical shape and flexibility with the outer edge substantially matching the inner edge of the horseshoe, and the catches extend outward from the plate-shaped object, while the plate-shaped object is supported on the inside of the horseshoe by securing the catches on the plate-shaped object to the top of the horseshoe so that the top of the plate-shaped object has substantially the same height as the top of the horseshoe, and with the plate-shaped object capable of being freely attached and removed from the bottom of the horseshoe.
In the disclosed hoof pad, notches are formed in the top surface of the horseshoe in the sections corresponding to the catches in the hoof pad so as to receive the catches. In addition, the hoof pad has notches formed continuously on top of a horseshoe along the inner edge of the horseshoe, with a plate-shaped object having a partially elliptical shape and flexibility with the outer edge engaging the notches, and the plate-shaped object is supported on the inside of the horseshoe by securing the outer edge of the plate-shaped object to the notches so that the top of the plate-shaped object has substantially the same height as the top of the horseshoe, and with the plate-shaped object being freely attached and removed from the bottom of the horseshoe.
The hoof itself is nailed and fixed to the bottom of horseshoe in the same way as the prior art. The hoof pad, which is nailed with the horseshoe, can be freely attached and removed from the bottom of the horseshoe. Therefore, when hoof pad is attached with the horseshoe which is nailed with hoof, the plate-shaped object is supported on the inside of the horseshoe by securing the catches on the plate-shaped object to the top of the horseshoe when the horse""s leg is above the ground. When the hoof pad is removed from the horseshoe which is nailed with hoof, the plate-shaped object of the hoof pad which is inside of the horseshoe is pulled toward the ground when horse leg is above the ground. The plate-shaped object has flexibility, and it can be freely attached and removed from the bottom of the horseshoe.
The notches are formed in the top surface of the horseshoe in the sections corresponding to the catches so as to receive the catches, so the notches and the catches can be easily received and removed. The notches are formed on top of a horseshoe along the inner edge of the horseshoe, with the plate-shaped object supported on the inside of the horseshoe by securing the outer edge of the plate-shaped object to the notches.
The disclosed hoof pad provides the following functions and advantages:
1. protects the bottom of the hoof;
2. prevents pressure on the bottom of the hoof by sawdust or manure.
3. prevents the hoof from drying out;
4. protects the hoof hygienically from manure;
5. protects the bottom of the hoof from crushed stone;
6. protects the bottom of the hoof from excessive wear;
7. protects the bottom of the hoof during outdoor horse riding;
8. holds medication in place on the bottom of the hoof in case of hoof disease; and
9. prevents snow from becoming packed in the bottom of the hoof.